Template Tuesday - Simple Animal Valentines

Today's Template Tuesday is a twofer. I tried to make these a little more simple for kids to do, but I think I always wind up doing things a little too adult. I'm going to see if my boyfriend's son can help me with figuring out what little kids might want. Check back next Tuesday to see if I'm successful. For now, here are two things I enjoy -- love-birds and squirrels. Go ahead and take a whack at these and see what you think.




I separated the templates into two different files. One has just the animals on it and the other just the hearts. When I created the final piece, I pop-dotted them to each other so that there was more depth. You can do whatever you want.



Hope you enjoy these simple valentines! Here's the templates: Animals & Hearts.

Bidden or Not Bidden

A little before Christmas, I was asked to do this papercut. If you can't tell what it says, it reads, "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Meaning to say that whether you know of Him or not, whether you want Him there or don't, He's there and that's that. There's comfort in those words for those who seek it.

Template Tuesday - Pioneer Valentine

Last weekend I went to the Daughters of Utah Pioneer Museum up by the capitol. It was my second time going there and I enjoyed just as much as the first time. They have two papercuts in the museum and I love looking at them and trying to see techniques from the past. One of the papercuts I saw was this Pioneer Valentine. The writing on it says "Pioneer Valentine cut by Clarissa Wilcox Mieling at the age of 84. Born March 20, 1863 at Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Address 893 N. 5th W, Provo, Utah." If Clarissa is making papercuts like this at the age of 84, I'd love to see some of the things she created in her heyday.


So I tried making up my own version of a pioneer papercut using some of the same elements that Clarissa used in her Valentine and this is what I came up with. Have any of you seen any other pioneer valentines before or any pioneer papercuts? I'd love to see more of them.


Here's what the template will look like. It's a folded cut, so remember not to cut through the areas like the beaks. You can cut through all the gray areas all you want.Enjoy! Pioneer Valentine Papercut

Wynken, Blynken & Nod

Almost two years ago, I had a show called Winter Wonderland at the Gateway Mall Children's Museum. I don't think I ever actually showed details of too many of the pieces. I think by the time the show was over, I was exhausted. The other day, I did a piece for a friend that I had sold at that show to another friend. It's so adorable. Have any of you ever heard of the Wynken, Blynken and Nod poem? This is my take on how it might look.



If you've never read the poem, here it is:

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod (Dutch Lullaby)
by Eugene Field (1850-1895)

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe---
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea---
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish---
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam---
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'T was all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 't was a dream they 'd dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea---
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod.

Template Tuesday - Little Jack Horner

A few months ago, I asked Tom what his favorite nursery rhyme was and he said it was Little Jack Horner. So I drew up a picture of it and decided I should save it for a Christmas template since it mentions Christmas in the poem. Here's what I came up with:



Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum
And said "What a good boy am I!"

Here's what the template will look like. It's not too terribly complicated, mostly just little details. Remember, for the face, use your blade from the inside parts to the outside parts. So, from the inside corner of the mouth out to the outside of the lips. You don't have to drag your blade all in a straight line. Lift it up.



Here's the link: Little Jack Horner

Chimney Sweep

This little gem is based off of Andersen's fairy tale, The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep. They are both two little porcelain figures that are in love with each other. She is not allowed to marry him because her father, the Chinese porcelain figure, forbids it. This scene is the part where they run off together and climb up to the rooftop.

I made this a little while ago. I was going to make it as a Template Tuesday, but it was too complicated to explain. I would like to do more three dimensional pieces. Hope you like it!

Template Tuesday - Zombies

So, some of my co-workers have put together a zombie political organization in hopes of truly bringing in some new brrraaainnnnns to the candidacy this voting season. If you're interested in joining go to votezombie.com and sign up - or at least click like on their facebook page. I made a few zombies for them that I don't think they're going to use, so you guys can. They are pretty great. I don't know what you'd use them in - maybe blow them up, stick them in a window - that seems to be all the rage nowadays.

Click here to check out this dead man's party: Zombie Template!